- Interim results from Johnson & Johnson phase 3 trials show that its vaccine offers protection against moderate to severe COVID-19.
- The company is expected to seek emergency authorization next month.
- The vaccine may be released as soon as February.
Johnson & Johnson said Friday, Jan. 29, that its single-dose coronavirus vaccine provided strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19, although it appears to have a lower effectiveness against a new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa.
Preliminary results released by the company show that the vaccine had an overall effectiveness of 66 percent against moderate to severe disease 28 days after vaccination.
Effectiveness is a measure of how well a vaccine works within the controlled environment of a clinical trial. Real-world effectiveness may be lower.
Effectiveness was similar for all age groups, including those 60 years and older.
However, it varied among regions: 72 percent in the United States, 66 percent in Latin America, and 57 percent in South Africa.
The company said nearly all of the COVID-19 cases in South Africa were due to the coronavirus variant known as
The vaccine also had an effectiveness of 85 percent against severe disease in all regions studied 28 days after vaccination.
The effectiveness of the vaccine against severe disease improved over time, with no severe cases seen after 49 days in people who were vaccinated.
In addition, the vaccine offered complete protection against hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 in all regions studied.
Source: healthline